Gandi supports demotix.com
By Joe on Monday 9 March 2009, 11:18 - Gandi UK - Permalink
As many of you may know Gandi likes to put its money where its mouth is (not literally, as most coins are actually quite unhygienic, but that's another story). But it does mean that we provide support to other companies that are doing exciting work to provide credible alternatives for customers often in industries with well established monopolies.
So we are very proud to be able to extend this support to Demotix.com who describe themselves as a citizen-journalism website and photo agency. Demotix takes user-generated content and photos from freelance journalists and amateurs and markets them to the mainstream media.
And why are they doing this? Mainly for us. The shocking reduction in generation of 'news' that is currently underway puts us, the readers, in a situation where we know less and less about what is really going on. Today there are only 4 US newspapers with a foreign desk. Even AP and Reuters fail to cover 40% of the world with a single staff member. Publishers are cutting journalism costs to fight the fall in ad revenue, and rely more on newswires for content. This means the available sources of news are being reduced, and ultimately it is us who will suffer.
Demotix believes it can change this. They believe that together we can build news communities and source stories and news from every corner of the globe. We can change the way news is gathered, and we can change what's on the front pages of every newspaper and broadcast worldwide.
The quality of the photos and honesty behind the stories is extraordinary. Have a look for yourself at www.demotix.com and learn a bit more about their vision and philosophy at www.demotix.com/page/about-us.
And if you want to know more about the Gandi Supports projects, then take a look at our site www.gandi.net/supports/ and see what else we're up to. Maybe we can help you too! (though do look at our 'search criteria' we're not a VC fund 
Comments
Just to add my bit, as the CEO of www.demotix.com:
Gandi have been immensely useful for Demotix.
And Joe, the CFO at Gandi, has been behind Demotix from the very beginning - offering advice and help across the board. We haven't just been getting technical back-up, we've also been getting advice and support and encouragement from a fantastic team with years of technical experience behind them. It's been invaluable.
Gandi's support of demotix is not a marketing exercise - it's been constant for over a year now, from the very moment we started up.
Turi
Glad to hear this....
My personal opinion, now it is the time for citizen-journalism...
Good news!
Yes, I can confirm it is time for it.
We have also nice example in Poland, with over 1 year of good experience in this kind of activity.
Best,
Sergiusz
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In all cases, you get exactly 50%.
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which means demotix takes the other 50%, that's how most photo agencies work, including the worst trashy people agencies.
on the photographer's side, it means working with no social security, for a very uncertain salary, no expenses paid... All that served with great words "citizen-journalism", "news communities ", etc...
that's no activism, but a regular business, good luck
Your call, Aman1.
The media is changing.
Photojournalists have been on the wrong end of the Human Resources' desk in the mainstream media for the last 15 yrs. They, along with cameramen and women, have been the first to go across the media spectrum globally (I should know - I've been talking to them from Cairo to Karachi over the last few months).
Now, it's the turn of print journalists and reporters.
Not sure whether you saw this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/200...
The old media model - with the social security, benefits, expenses, etc... - is dead. All of us are trying to figure out how to invent a new one.
We're all trying to find a new way of keeping news flowing in from around the world, and trying to do that in a way that pays contributors for their work. We think Demotix does that better, and more fairly, and with more integrity than most others out there (including the BBC and CNN that don't pay the legion of citizens out there sending them material). And we certainly do it better than the microstock industry that has put dozens of professional photographers out of work, since we charge exactly the same for our contributors as a Getty or Reuters.
I'd also add, that $100 or so in Gaza, or Havana, or Kathmandu, actually does go some way towards covering expenses.
Yes, it would be lovely if news media was valued as it should be. But it isn't, so we have to fight for it.
Hi,
This is really good news. however the majority of people don't know why such an organisation exists,
For years as an irish emmigrant I wondered why in uk we did not receive a fair picture on the North of Ireland in the UK. My grandfather bless his soul worked along side Logi when he developed TV. Broadcast media has beoome the worlds downfall, in the sense of making men terrified, and children grounded. Why??? for money. Its good to see the real truth and its good to see someone support it. Well done Gandi!!! how long b4 the rest of the populus cops on.,..?
In the mean time we owe it to everyone else to paint a picture, be it nice or be it sad.
You want news, it *should* be untarnished.
As a famous poet and girlfriend once said, "tread softly, coz u tread on my dreams."
J.